Campaign managers will replace two in tomorrow’s forum

Denver School board candidates Arturo Jimenez, running for re-election in district 5, and Emily Sirota, running for a seat in district 1, have decided they will not be able to attend tomorrow night’s candidate forum at the University of Denver.

Instead, both of the union-endorsed candidates, will send campaign managers in their place. Interestingly, both campaign guys who will take those seats at the forum, are collegues, members of the Compass Strategy team.

Dave Sabados, will make an appearance for Jimenez, and Kevin Paquette will make an appearance for Sirota.

According to the finance reports released last week, Sirota has so far paid Paquette $3,000 through the beginning of October while Jimenez has paid Sabados $11,666.66.

Both Sabados and Paquette work for Compass Strategy, a firm that also employs Berrick Abramson, who recently worked as deputy campaign manager for Andrew Romanoff during his campaign for a seat in the senate, and for James Mejia in his campaign for Denver mayor.

Abramson clarified late Monday that both Sabados and Paquette are on leave from working with Compass Strategy through December 2011. He said they took the leave before enlisting to work with their campaigns.

Abramson said he has contributed money to Jennifer Draper Carson’s campaign — Jimenez’s opponent — evidence he said, that he and Compass Strategy are not connected to Paquette and Sabados’ independent work with Sirota and Jimenez.

In an email, Sabados said today that Jimenez prioritized other events in his district in northwest Denver.

“Arturo is dedicated to representing his district, and will be attending four previously scheduled events in North and West Denver tomorrow evening. The A-Plus Denver forum is quite a ways from the district,” Sabados wrote.

Jimenez however, will have another chance to have a discussion with his opponent Jennifer Draper Carson, at a forum on Wednesday morning at Mi Casa Resource Center. Both Jimenez and Carson are scheduled to attend that forum.

Paquette, like Sabados, said Sirota will be prioritizing a few other events happening in her district.

“Emily will be attending an early childhood development event and then there are a number of events and meetings in the district she is going to stop by,” Paquette said.

Both Sirota and opponent Anne Rowe will next be together at the same Wednesday forum at Mi Casa.

Organizers for Wednesday’s forum were not immediately available. It is unclear if that forum is open to the public. Will post details about it, if I find out it is.

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